Hyaluronic acid
Hyaluronic acid is a widely used ingredient in cosmetics, personal care, and skincare formulations. Depending on its function, it may serve as a moisturizer, preservative, emulsifier, or active ingredient to enhance the overall effectiveness and performance of a product.
Hyaluronic acid (/ˌhaɪ.əljʊəˈrɒnɪk/; abbreviated HA; conjugate base hyaluronate), also called hyaluronan, is an anionic, nonsulfated glycosaminoglycan distributed widely throughout connective, epithelial, and neural tissues. It is unique among glycosaminoglycans as it is non-sulfated, forms in the plasma membrane instead of the Golgi apparatus, and can be very large: human synovial HA averages about 7 MDa per molecule, or about 20,000 disaccharide monomers, while other sources mention 3–4 MDa.
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 Haworth projection
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| Names | |
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| IUPAC name
(1→4)-(2-Acetamido-2-deoxy-D-gluco)-(1→3)-D-glucuronoglycan
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| Systematic IUPAC name
Poly{[(2S,3R,4R,5S,6R)-3-acetamido-5-hydroxy-6-(hydroxymethyl)oxane-2,4-diyl]oxy[(2R,3R,4R,5S,6S)-6-carboxy-3,4-dihydroxyoxane-2,5-diyl]oxy} | |
| Identifiers | |
| ChEBI | |
| ChemSpider |
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| ECHA InfoCard | 100.029.695 |
| EC Number |
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PubChem CID
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| UNII | |
CompTox Dashboard (EPA)
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| Properties | |
| (C14H21NO11)n | |
| Pharmacology | |
| D03AX05 (WHO) M09AX01 (WHO), R01AX09 (WHO), S01KA01 (WHO) | |
| Related compounds | |
Related compounds
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Except where otherwise noted, data are given for materials in their standard state (at 25 °C [77 °F], 100 kPa).
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Medically, hyaluronic acid is used to treat osteoarthritis of the knee and dry eye, for wound repair, and as a cosmetic filler.
The average 70 kg (150 lb) person has roughly 15 grams of hyaluronan in the body, one third of which is turned over (i.e., degraded and synthesized) per day.
As one of the chief components of the extracellular matrix, it contributes significantly to cell proliferation and migration, and is involved in the progression of many malignant tumors. Hyaluronic acid is also a component of the group A streptococcal extracellular capsule, and is believed to play a role in virulence.
